


the pattern

by ringring



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Hopeful Ending, Kinda, M/M, Pining, Post-Time Skip, Tsukishima Kei is a Good Friend, Tsukishima Kei-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:28:48
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28431699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ringring/pseuds/ringring
Summary: Yamaguchi and Osamu's relationship through the eyes of Tsukishima Kei.
Relationships: Miya Osamu/Yamaguchi Tadashi, Tsukishima Kei & Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 7
Kudos: 70





	the pattern

**Author's Note:**

> i promised myself i'd never write an unrequited love fic but here we are. i love tsukki so much i'm so sorry !! anyway this was kind of a spur of the moment thing, hope you all enjoy :)

When Yamaguchi told Tsukishima he was dating Miya Osamu; he didn’t think anything of it. 

It’s not like Yamaguchi hasn’t dated anyone before, it was fine. It was always like this, Yamaguchi would go out with someone for a few weeks and then they would break up, and everything would be back to normal.

Each time he promised himself he would build up the courage to confess to him.

He never did.

Tsukishima was a fan of patterns, it helped him figure out his next move. He loved it when setters had a tick and had a pattern to who they set to; it gave him time to strategize and figure out who to block, and how to block depending on the spiker’s own pattern. 

At first, Yamaguchi’s relationship with Miya Osamu wasn’t all that different from the other ones. All the telltale signs were there; Yamaguchi was smiling at his phone more often, him being lost in his own thoughts more often than not. The usual stuff.

When weeks turned into months, he knew the pattern he had always known was crumbling.

It started when Yamaguchi started to talk about Osamu more. He didn’t mind at first, his best friend seemed to be having fun, and contrary to what other people might think Tsukishima Kei is not an asshole. 

Yamaguchi gushing about Miya Osamu was new. He never did this with his other relationships before—which he was thankful for. He is a nice guy but there’s so much his heart can take.

But now, hearing Yamaguchi talk about Osamu like that, made him wonder. What was so different about him? This was more serious than he’d ever thought. 

Yamaguchi was changing as well. He was smiling more, being more open. It was like he glowed, more so than he usually did. True unabashed happiness. 

He couldn’t hate Osamu, not when Yamaguchi looked so happy.

It would be easier, he guessed, if Osamu was a jerk. Then he’d have a reason for his slight animosity towards the man, other than his jealousy over Osamu’s confidence to go after his best friend. He was a great guy, he was kind, respectful, charming. Osamu was so many things that he wasn’t.

He felt stupid. His mind going over the million what-ifs. Wondering about an alternate universe; the one where he’d actually confessed to Yamaguchi in his third year like he planned to. He wondered if they’d still be dating by now. He imagined himself begrudgingly calling one of the Tanakas to see how he should propose to Yamaguchi since they were the only married couple he knew.

No, it was useless to get lost in fantasies like that. He couldn’t, he shouldn’t. He wasn’t living in some alternate universe, this was real life. He wasn’t brave enough to confess to his best friend. This was the path he’d chosen, and now he just had to watch the results play out.

He couldn’t help it though, thinking about the what-ifs. Would Yamaguchi be as happy with him as he is with Osamu? 

He wasn’t sure if he was the person that Yamaguchi needed. 

It wasn’t like he’d lost his best friend. Yamaguchi was still his best friend, they still had their weekly hangouts. They still texted each other constantly. Yamaguchi came to his games—whenever his work schedule allowed it—but now, he came with Osamu. Which was okay, Osamu was a nice guy, Tsukishima didn't hate him, not when he made his best friend so happy. 

Another change in the pattern. Osamu coming to his games. 

It was strange, unlike his previous relationships, Yamaguchi seemed really adamant about making sure he and Osamu got along— _ “My two favorite people finally together!”  _ he said smiling. He planned days where all three of them could hang out together.

Those days were extremely difficult for him. He got to see them in action. The secret smiles they shared, the lingering touches. It was hard not to feel like a third wheel around them since they were so in love. He had to give them credit though, they really tried to not make him feel that way. But being in love with your best friend makes it hard not to notice the small details. 

They both looked so happy. Osamu as well. It was glaringly obvious how enamored he was with Yamaguchi. Every time he spoke Osamu looked at him like he painted the stars in the sky. And he couldn’t blame him, he recognized that look, that feeling, the one he often tried to hide. Pure love and adoration. 

In a way, it made him happy to see someone that loved and cared for Yamaguchi as much as him. Someone that valued and listened to everything Yamaguchi had to say—and he had a lot to say, it was so adorable how he just rambled on and on. He knew Osamu was great for him, every time he saw them together proved it. 

He was glad to know that Osamu was able to give Yamaguchi everything he wanted. Everything Tsukishima couldn’t give him.

Yamaguchi’s relationship pattern broke even further when those short months turned into a year. 

A year of his smiles being directed to someone else. Someone else being the one to hold him and kiss him. Being able to say the things that Tsukishima had always been afraid to say. 

It was futile to keep holding onto these feelings. It’s been such a long time since they were teenagers in high school and they did everything together. Walking to school, going to practice, doing homework, making sure Hinata and Kageyama didn’t work themselves to death. They were always together him and Yamaguchi. He was 23 now. It was hopeless to keep holding on selfishly to these feelings.

Just because he was in love with Yamaguchi didn’t mean he had to love him back. Especially not when he was so incredibly happy with someone else. 

Yamaguchi created a new pattern, something that Tsukishima couldn’t quite figure out. He couldn’t predict the outcome. 

All he knew is that he wanted to be there for him. The most important person in his life. He wasn’t going to let his feelings get in the way of his friendship with Yamaguchi, he was too important to him to let himself destroy that.

Besides, he was only 23, it wasn’t the end of the world. He would meet someone eventually and form a bond with them. It was fine.

In the end, Yamaguchi was still by his side, just not in the way he desired, but he could work on that.

Yamaguchi was happy and that’s all that mattered. 

**Author's Note:**

> i tried giving tsuikki a more positive outlook on things bc it would kill me if i left him too sad i hope it came across that way!! thank u for making it this far!!


End file.
